Lighting for large, indoor spaces (e.g., manufacturing, assembly, office cubicle barns, and the like) can be achieved by illuminating the space with one or more rows of linear lighting fixtures. These rows of linear lighting fixtures are conventionally formed by abutting individual linear lighting fixtures end-to-end. Individual linear lighting fixtures are typically available in lengths of 2-8 feet.
FIG. 1 depicts an isometric drawing of conventional linear lighting fixture 100. The lighting fixture includes housing 110 that can be formed from, for example, sheet metal, extrusion, or an assembly of components. Housing 110 includes a pair of opposing longitudinal walls 112, and a pair of opposing lateral walls (or edges) 114. These walls define an interior volume in which a lamp (e.g., tubular form fit) can be disposed. Inside the interior volume electrical contacts, connections, driver electronics, and mechanical features can be disposed. Interior surface(s) of this interior volume can act as a reflector for light emitted from the lamp. The interior volume can be closed off by optical element 116 (e.g., a lens and/or diffuser).
Two or more linear lighting fixtures can be joined by adding mechanical connectors to the lighting fixture. The conventional approach is to mount a mechanical connector to lateral ends of abutting lighting fixtures, once the lighting fixture is suspended in place. To mount the mechanical connectors, the lighting fixture requires disassembly of many components (e.g., the diffuser, lamp removal, and oftentimes electrical connectors as well).
Mechanical connectors can be first mounted to each lighting fixture's housing 110 with multiple fasteners (e.g., rivets, self-tapping screws, bolt/nut combinations, and the like). The lighting fixtures are then abutted by joining (for example, flanges) of two mechanical connectors together using additional fasteners. Reassembly of the components removed from each lighting fixture is then necessary.
The fixture disassembly, connector mounting, fixture abutment, and fixture reassembly is often occurring at a distance above the floor, and in limited access conditions. These conditions result in labor intensive operations, and the disassembly/reassembly of the fixture can degrade the integrity of the lighting fixture itself.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus and method for joining linear lighting fixtures in the field, where simple operations can be performed in limited access conditions that do not impact the integrity of the abutted linear lighting fixtures and do not require disassembly of the lighting fixture to install.